How It's Percieved
by spoons-are-evil
Summary: They all had problems. They all had something wrong with them. So they went to the Going Merry Mental Institution. They met, and they were all insane somehow, but did it really matter?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece. All rights go to Eiichiro Oda.**

* * *

Zoro grumbled under his breath as he was lead to the social area. Stupid fucking sensei and his stupid fucking smile. He looked around at the white, blank walls they were passing, then at the man in front of him. He had strange pineapple-shaped hair and a laid-back demeanor, and Zoro grudgingly admitted that he wasn't a bad guy. When he arrived at the institution, he had thought that everyone here would be all smiles and charm, speaking to him as if he were a child and pretending to be his friends.

They had surprised him, however. The employees smiled politely as they passed by, but said nothing. The pineapple man only introduced himself as Marco and told the green-haired man to follow.

Still, even if the workers were—thankfully—tolerable, Zoro didn't think he belonged here. He wasn't some damn psycho; there was nothing _wrong _with him. He shouldn't be forced to be around a bunch of people who would be depressed and sobbing or mumbling to themselves in the corner.

He was pulled from his thoughts as Marco stopped in front of two large double doors. The man looked back at him, then turned back to open the doors without a word.

As they stepped into the room, an unidentifiable object flew towards Marco and wrapped itself around him. Zoro quickly realized that it was a person, a boy. To his credit, Marco only took a step back with a small grunt and stayed on his feet.

"Dammit, Luffy. You're going to seriously hurt someone one of these days. What if it was Vivi instead of me?"

The black-haired boy looked up at Marco and a grin stretched across his face. Was it even physically possible for a smile to be that wide?

"I knew it wasn't her. Vivi's not going to visit again until November because it's her corporation soon."

"Coronation."

"Yeah, that's what I said. Besides, I knew it would be you."

Zoro could've sworn he saw the blonde's mouth twitch into a slight smile, but it disappeared in an instant, and Zoro decided to ignore it because Marco didn't seem like the type to show any emotion but minor annoyance and sleepiness.

"Oh, yeah? How?"

The boy, Luffy, only grinned wider and removed himself from Marco. He stood there, talking with the taller man, and Zoro got the chance to observe him. He was somewhat short, with wide dark brown eyes and an unbelievably large smile. However, the most distinctive thing about him was the old battered straw hat sitting atop his mop of black hair. It wasn't exactly common to see people wearing straw hats these days, yet it somehow seemed perfectly normal on that boy.

"This is Zoro."

The sound of his name made Zoro focus back on the conversation. Luffy and Marco were both looking at him, Luffy wearing that impossible smile of his.

"Hiya! My name's Luffy! It's nice to meet you! You're hair looks really cool. Is it natural? Are your earrings real gold? I heard you can use swords. Are you good?"

Zoro had some trouble keeping up with all the questions being thrown at him at such a fast pace, but he managed to respond. "Yes, yes, and you can be pretty damn sure I'm good." He smirked, then backfired with a question of his own. "How did you know I'm a swordsman?"

Luffy didn't respond, but turned to look at the space next to him.

"Did you hear that, Ace? His hair's really green! You owe me five bucks!"

Zoro was about to ask who the hell Ace was, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He looked to see Marco shake his head.

"Oi, Sabo! C'mere!"

Luffy had turned and shouted into the crowd. Zoro had been too distracted by Luffy to notice the rest of the room. There were comfortable-looking chairs scattered around the room and a few tables. Other than that, there was no decoration apart from a plant in the corner and some paintings on the walls. Zoro noticed the other occupants of the room staring at Luffy either with fond amusement or a strange pity. Some with a mixture of both.

Luffy looked back to Zoro. He pointed to an empty space on his right. "Meet Sabo. He's my big brother. He's really smart and nice! And this," he pointed to his left, "is Ace. He can be kinda grumpy sometimes, but he's actually really cool!"

Zoro remembered the look in Marco's eyes when he had put a hand on his shoulder, and decided to play along. He nodded at the places Luffy had pointed to and said, "Zoro." Luffy's eyes shone and his smile somehow—incredibly, impossibly—grew even larger. He grabbed Zoro's wrist and dragged him farther into the room.

As Luffy forced him into a chair and babbled endlessly, Zoro couldn't help but think that maybe it wouldn't be so bad here, and when Luffy made him laugh boisterously after a stupid comment, he thought, "_No. No, it won't be bad here at all."_

* * *

**So, this fic is just going to be a series of related one shots about Luffy and other characters in a mental hospital. It will not have a plot. Unless, of course, I actually come up with one, but I'd probably publish that separately. The mental hospital will not be like real ones, so please do not try to criticize me about that. This one is much more laid back and homey. I already have most of the characters basic stories and illnesses figured out, but if you have a suggestion, please do tell me. Also, do not hesitate to correct any mistakes I may have made or to suggest what I can do to make my writing better. I'd appreciate it, actually. Oh, about Zoro's thoughts on what he expected the patients to be like in the beginning, that was just Zoro being stubborn. I wasn't being mean or stereotypical.**

** I won't be updating this regularly. I'll only be updating when I get inspiration, which probably won't be too often. Thank you so much for reading! **

**- Spoons**


	2. Chapter 2

"Roronoa Zoro, correct?"

Zoro nodded absentmindedly.

"Nineteen years old?"

Another nod.

"Giggling pixie?"

"Yeah—"

Zoro sat up and glared at his councilor. "_No."_

The man smiled. "Just making sure you were listening." Zoro huffed and leaned back into the chair.

"Now, you probably think you don't belong here and don't need counseling, and I doubt you want to sit here while I attempt to make friends with you, so just answer my questions honestly, and we'll be out of here before you know it."

Zoro grumbled, but reluctantly agreed. The councilor nodded curtly and looked at his clipboard.

"What's your home life like?"

Zoro rose an eyebrow at the question, but answered. "I live with my foster father, Koshiro, and his daughter, Kuina, at the local dojo."

"Go on."

"It's nice, I guess." He shrugged. "I get food, a house, and I get to practice whenever I want."

The man nodded and scribbled something onto his papers. "Any goals?"

"Not really. I might take over the dojo for Koshiro." Zoro scowled. "Unless Kuina takes that job."

"Your adoptive sister?"

"Yeah, she's always been better than me with swords." His expression hardened. "But I _will_ beat her someday."

The man smiled approvingly. "That's good to hear."

And so they continued, with the man asking questions, and Zoro answering, albeit sometimes with great hesitation. Sometimes not at all.

* * *

_"I don't need to go to a fucking mental hospital!"_

_Koshiro only looked back at him calmly. "Zoro. It's affecting your memory and attention. Not to mention how tired you are now. You don't have energy like you used to."_

_"That doesn't mean—"_

_"What about your swordsmanship?"_

_Zoro froze. _

_"What?"_

_"You can't focus properly during training, and you're too tired to fight at your usual standards. I know you've noticed." Zoro gritted his teeth. "Zoro, please. It's for the best."_

_The only response he received was a glare and a frustrated Zoro stomping off to find somewhere secluded._

* * *

"Oi, Zoro!"

Zoro blinked his eyes groggily and looked at the face above him. Luffy grinned and said, "Zoro! You're awake! Finally!"

The sleepy fog slowly cleared from his mind and he sat up. They were in the lounge, and Luffy was squatting next to him, in his place against the wall. "What time is it?" He asked groggily.

"It's already ten! You've been sleeping for _hours!_ It took me forever to wake you up!"

Zoro's eyes widened marginally. "You woke me up?"

"Yeah!" Luffy said enthusiastically. "I took a really long time though."

"How long?"

The smaller boy looked thoughtful. "Hmm, a few minutes?"

Zoro raised an eyebrow. "You consider that long?" He shook his head. "Never mind, that's not important. You were _actually _able to wake me up? _How?_" Luffy looked confused. "I shook you and called your name. Why?"

Zoro looked at him incredulously. "That's all you did?"

"Yeah."

The green-haired man was shocked. _No one _was ever able to wake him up. Even when they used more…drastic…methods. Yet, here was Luffy, pulling him from sleep as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Zoro would never understand that kid. He made the most depressed people in the institution smile, the most nervous people speak comfortably and confidently, the most bad-tempered people laugh and look at him fondly. The boy was a miracle in himself.

"ZORO!"

Zoro jumped slightly and looked at Luffy. "What?"

Luffy pouted. "I've been calling you and you weren't listening!"

The ends of Zoro's lips pulled into a slight smile. "What is it?"

"Let's raid the fridge!"

How was Zoro not surprised?

* * *

Zoro opened his eyes blearily when he felt a presence next to him. The figure climbed onto his bed and sat cross-legged.

"Zoro."

It was Luffy.

Zoro sat up against the headboard and turned his lamp on. "What the hell are you doing in here at this time of night? And how did you get in?"

"Through the door." Luffy said. He fidgeted. "Can I sleep in here tonight?"

The older male frowned. "Why?"

Luffy shifted uncomfortably. "Nightmare."

Zoro was surprised. Luffy didn't seem the type to have bad dreams. He seemed like the sort of person who didn't have a care in the world—no worries, no troubles, and definitely not nightmares. Still, Zoro guessed everyone had some fears, and Zoro wasn't going to pry. He silently scooted over and allowed Luffy to settle in next to him. The younger teen was asleep within minutes.

Why did Luffy trust him so much? Typically, people only sought out comfort from those they knew well and trusted explicitly.

From the moment he and Luffy had met, the younger boy had acted as if they were old friends and, Zoro had to admit, he also felt a strange connection to the teen. There was a strange familiarity between them.

Zoro pushed the thought from his mind. Who cared? Luffy made good company and, surprisingly, Zoro wasn't annoyed—not always, at least—by his presence. He shouldn't try to analyze Luffy's actions. It would only bring him a headache. Luffy was Luffy.

That's all there was to it.

* * *

**Whoop! Another chapter! It didn't take as long as I thought it would to get an idea for chapter 2. So, how many of you think you know what Zoro's disorder is? He has two, but one of them wasn't covered this chapter. Thank you all so much for the favorites, follows, and ****_especially_**** the reviews. Your feedback and encouragement is the reason this chapter is out, so thank you. **

**4 favorites and 5 follows for the first chapter. I don't know if that's good for the site's standards, but it's pretty damn good for mine. If only one person liked it, I would still feel accomplished. I hope you also enjoyed this chapter!**

**-Spoons**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece. Honestly, if I did, it would go to hell in a spectacular ball of flames. That's how bad it would be.**

* * *

"Luffy-san! Zoro-san!"

They looked up from their conversation to see a pink-haired boy walking towards them. An excited smile spread across Luffy's face. "Coby!"

Coby made himself comfortable on a chair next to them. "Hi, guys."

As Luffy and Coby struck up a conversation, Zoro looked over the youngest boy. He was taller than last time, and definitely more confident. The boy used to be a stuttering, shy mess.

"What mischief have you gotten yourself into since I was last here?"

Luffy immediately launched into an animated explanation of what they'd done since Coby's last visit. Zoro raised an eyebrow at the teen's enthusiasm. All morning Luffy had been more subdued than usual. Compared to his usual bubbly personality, Zoro could safely say that Luffy was _depressed._

Yet, now he was back to normal, if not more excited than usual. It was a strangely quick change.

"—and then Zoro got lost, so we got caught!" Luffy pouted. Zoro focused back onto the conversation and saw that Coby was chuckling at his idol's story.

"We wouldn't have gotten caught if you hadn't been laughing like a damn lunatic, you moron."

The teen frowned at Zoro. "But I was having fun. Of course I was laughing." He looked at the swordsman as if _he_ were the idiot. Zoro only rolled his eyes.

* * *

_"What is this?!"_

_Zoro and Luffy looked up at the high-pitched shriek. It came from an abnormally large lady standing at one of the other tables in the lounge. There was a small boy next to her, nervously scuffing his shoes on the floor. The woman shoved a large finger in front of the boy's face._

_"Dust! I thought I told you to clean this table before I sat here!"_

_"But I did—"_

_"Shut up! A beautiful woman like me deserves a spotless place to sit! Clean it again, you little shit, and by the time I come back there better not be a single smudge left!_

_She walked off in the direction of the cafeteria, and the boy was left shaking and rubbing his hands anxiously on his pants._

_Zoro scowled. There were a lot of bastards like that here, who thought they were better than everyone else. Although, while Zoro could hardly fault them for it as it was a part of their illnesses, the swordsman had little patience for them. _

_He was suddenly yanked up, and was barely able to catch his footing and keep himself from falling. He looked at the person responsible and found it was Luffy. Of course. Who else? Luffy was pulling him over to the boy at the table._

_They stopped in front of him, and the boy looked up at them nervously._

_Luffy grinned. "Hi! I'm Luffy, and this is Zoro!"_

_"Uh..h-hi. I'm…I'm Coby."_

_The cheerful teen plopped down onto a seat next to the table, and said, "Man, that lady was loud. Ugly, too. Who was she?"_

_Coby started, and began fidgeting. "That's…that's Lady Alvida. You sh-shouldn't call her u-ugly, she gets r-really mad when p-p-people insult her appearance. She thinks she's th-the m-most wonderful person o-on earth."_

_Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Narcissistic personality disorder?"_

_Coby nodded, then grimaced. "I-I...I shouldn't be talking about it to you. She's r-really sensitive about her d-disorder. And I n-n-need to clean the t-table again anyways."_

_"Why?" Luffy was frowning. "Why do you listen to her? Why can't she do it herself?"_

_"W-well, that's…"_

_Luffy stood, a determined look on his face. "You don't have to listen to her. She can't order you around."_

_"But—"_

_"No. You're not her slave, she can clean her own damn table. She has no right to treat you like that."_

_Luffy had an angry light in his eyes that Zoro had never seen before. Coby looked shocked that someone would get so worked up for his sake._

_Just then, Alvida came sauntering back into the room. She sneered at Luffy and Zoro._

_"What the hell are you doing here? This is my table. Get lost."_

_Luffy only crossed his arms. "No."_

_Alvida was shocked. "No?"_

_"No," Luffy repeated. "I can sit wherever the hell I want."_

_The woman turned purple with rage. She whirled around to face Coby. "You," she hissed. "Why did you let them come here?"_

_Coby look terrified. "I-I-I—"_

_"Don't be scared of her Coby."_

_The young boy looked up at Luffy, surprised. Zoro figured that he'd never stood up for himself; he'd always been afraid. The green-haired teen decided not to say anything and see how everything would play out. Coby stared at Luffy for a few moments, then seemed to be inspired by something in Luffy's expression. His face hardened in determination, and he faced Alvida, albeit with that lingering fear still showing in his eyes. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes._

_"You're a big, ugly hag, Alvida! You're mean and rotten! I do what you say without question, and you still treat me like shit! But not anymore," Coby shuddered and whispered his next sentence. "I don't take orders from selfish bitches."_

_There was absolute silence. The entire room had focused on them during Coby's shouting._

_Zoro nodded resolutely. It was about time the kid did something for himself. He'd seen the woman and Coby in the lounge and cafeteria occasionally. It was always the same. Coby was always like a frightened little puppy, with an abusive master._

_Alvida stood stock still. "Why, you—"_

_She took a step towards Coby, but Luffy placed himself in front of her. He glared at her, and Zoro could honestly say that he'd never seen anything more terrifying. _

_"Don't you dare take another step."_

_Alvida couldn't resist a shudder at the dangerous tone. Zoro finally stepped forward. "I think it's about time you leave." She looked at him, then huffed and stomped out of the room. There was a long, awkward silence._

_"I'm hungry."_

_This, of course, came from Luffy, and the tense atmosphere was shattered. Everyone went back to their previous activities, periodically glancing back at them._

_Coby stood there, staring at his shoes. "Th-thank you, Luffy-san."_

_Luffy smiled at him. "No need to thank me. You're the one who told her off."_

_ Zoro snorted. "About time someone put her in her place." He smirked at Coby. "Well done, by the way."_

_Coby turned red, and looked back at his shoes. _

_"Thank you."_

* * *

Luffy pouted. "You're leaving already?"

"Yes, Luffy-san. I promised Helmeppo that I'd help him unpack."

"Unpack?"

Coby turned to Zoro. "Yeah, he just moved in with me." He grinned excitedly. "We're roommates now!"

Zoro shook his head. "Make sure that pompous brat doesn't try anything." Coby laughed. "Zoro-san, he's not so bad anymore. And even if he was, he couldn't hurt me."

The swordsman smiled. Coby really had grown.

As Coby departed, Luffy waved wildly, both hands making big sweeping motions. Zoro smirked at his friend's actions. Once Coby's car was out of sight, the younger teen turned to Zoro.

"Wanna go mess with Smoker?"

They started walking back to the cafeteria.

"You know, one of these days, Smoker isn't going to let you get away with your mischief. He _does_ have the authority to put you under room arrest, after all."

His response was a pout and a childish huff. Luffy grumbled something unintelligible under his breath. They walked in comfortable silence until they reached their destination. They opened the doors, and were immediately assaulted by the sounds of loud chattering. The cafeteria was wide, with a large number of circular tables scattered around.

They found their way to the window that showed the kitchens. A man with an eccentric, pompadour hairstyle was behind the counter and waved as they approached.

"Yo, Luffy, Zoro!

Luffy bounded over with a large smile on his face. "Hey, Thatch!" Zoro followed at a much more leisurely pace, and nodded at the man in greeting. Luffy was bouncing on the balls of his feet. "What's for dinner today? Does it have meat? Can I have the leftovers when everyone's done? What—"

Thatch laughed. "Calm down, kid. We're having steak so, yes, it has meat. And we'll see about the leftovers." He gave them each a plate and waved them off.

The moment they sat down, Luffy began stuffing the food into his mouth. Zoro would never understand how the teen ate such an enormous amount of food without bursting. One would think he could stretch.

"Hey, Ace, that's my meat!"

Zoro sighed. It seemed Luffy was arguing with 'Ace' again. Luffy was holding his plate close to him, glaring at the space to his right. As Luffy continued the quarrel with his supposed brother, Zoro leaned back and closed his eyes. The black-haired boy often spoke to thin air, allegedly communicating with his siblings, 'Ace' and 'Sabo'. Zoro had asked Marco about it, but the guard only adopted a surprisingly sad expression and said that he should ask Luffy.

However, the elder male didn't want to bother Luffy about it, nor did he want to get the story from someone else. He figured it would be a sensitive subject. If Luffy wanted to talk to him about it, he'd be there. Until then, he could wait.

"Dammit, Ace! Give it back!"

* * *

**Happy (early) New Year to you all! Hope you have a great start for 2014. :)**

**About Alvida; if you or anyone you know has NPD, and are offended by the way I wrote her, then I am so very sorry. Please tell me how someone would act if they have that particular disorder, because I am only writing her how I imagine someone would act. My only reference is reading about the disorder and its symptoms. **

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Thank you sooo much for your support and encouragement. I especially appreciate your reviews; they make my day, and they're what motivate me to write. They're the reason I wrote this chapter so soon. Until next time!**

**-Spoons**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** **I don't own One Piece. C'mon, we've been over this.**

* * *

Nami looked up at the building before her. It wasn't as big or intimidating as she thought it would be. It was only two stories, with creamy beige colored walls, and—strangely enough—a large, wooden sheep's head was situated above the main doors. There were red and white curtains visible through the windows, and a few flowers scattered throughout the lawn. Overall, it had a very welcoming and cozy feel to it.

She looked back at her uncle and sister. Nojiko was staring at the sheep's head, and her Uncle Arlong had his eyes on Nami, a fake smile on his lips. Nojiko eventually drew her gaze from the head, and grinned at her, albeit without her usual enthusiasm. "'The Going Merry,' huh?"

Nami said nothing. Her uncle walked up to her, and put a hand on her shoulder. His smile widened into a genuine grin, showing his abnormally sharp teeth. Arlong was a tall man, with black hair and a strangely long nose. He had a tattoo on his left arm, and another one was visible on his chest, peeking out from the top of his shirt.

Nami was terrified of him.

"You remember the plan, right?" Arlong's grip on her shoulder tightened.

The orange-haired girl scoffed. "Who do you think you're talking to? I'll be done before you know it." Arlong's grip loosened and he let go.

The group walked up to the doors of the institution and entered. There was a gruff-looking old man behind the desk; he had white hair, glasses, and…

Nami's eyes widened in shock. He had _flower petals_ at the back of his head. What the _hell? _

He looked up at them as they approached and narrowed his eyes. Arlong looked him over as he asked, "Are you the secretary?"

The man raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Shouldn't you introduce yourself first?" Nami's uncle opened his mouth to respond, but was prevented doing so by the man speaking again. "I'm Crocus. No, I'm not the secretary. She had to run an errand and forced me to cover for her until she got back." He muttered something under his breath, and Nami only caught the words _'manipulation' _and _'witch.' _He looked back up at them. "She told me to expect you, though." He looked back and forth between Nami and Nojiko. "Which one of you is Nami?"

The younger girl stepped forward. "I'm Nami."

Crocus nodded and looked at something on his computer. He turned back to them. "I'll just need your dad here to—"

"He's not my dad," Nami blurted. Arlong glared down at her, then put his fake smile back on before looking back at the old man.

"I'm her uncle."

Crocus nodded, but looked suspicious. The venom in the girl's voice when she denied the man as her father surprised him. "Well, I'll need your _uncle _to sign this form, then I can get Marco or Smoker to show you around."

As Arlong looked over the papers and discussed things with Crocus, Nojiko turned to her little sister.

"Don't do anything too reckless. Watch who you deal with. Make sure they're not dangerous."

Nami rolled her eyes, even if she was slightly afraid. The people here weren't in their right minds, after all. Who knew what could happen. "Nojiko, I'll be fine. I've been doing this for years." Nojiko's expression saddened at this comment.

"I know," she whispered. She pulled Nami into a hug. "I'll miss you."

Nami closed her eyes and hugged back. She held back the tears threatening to fall. She wouldn't see Nojiko for a long time. This only increased her determination to finish quickly, and get out of there, back to her sister. The sooner she got what she needed, the sooner Arlong would let her go back.

"I'll miss you too. You better be okay the next time I see you," Nami replied softly.

They pulled apart as their uncle walked back to them. He put a hand on Nami's head and ruffled her hair in supposed fondness. "See you in a few weeks. Take care of yourself." He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Don't disappoint me." He walked away, and Nojiko reluctantly followed, glancing back at her sister.

Nami turned back and saw a tall, white-haired man walking into the lobby from a hallway to the right of the secretary's desk. He wore a thick jacket despite the warmth, and had two cigars in his mouth, unlit.

Crocus glared at him. "_Smoker," _he growled threateningly. Smoker glanced at him and glared right back. They kept eye contact for a few moments before Smoker sighed and took the cigars out of his mouth.

"Damn old man, they weren't lit."

"Don't care," was the curt response.

Smoker growled, but let it go and turned to Nami. "You the new patient?" When Nami nodded, he said, "Follow me."

They walked through the hallway Smoker had entered from. Smoker showed her the layout of the hospital in true tour guide fashion. "That hallway leads to all the councilors' offices," he said, pointing to the first corridor they passed. "That," he stated as they walked by a pair of double doors, "is the cafeteria." Nami looked in through the door windows, and saw a large amount of people laughing and talking during their meals. She saw a black-haired boy run by the doors with a turkey leg in his hand, laughing. A taller, green-haired man chased after him, and Nami guessed he was shouting something at the boy. He looked ready for murder.

"We'll come back after I finish showing you around. Lunch won't be over for at least another half hour." Nami glanced back at the man and nodded. They continued her tour, and Nami learned where the lounge was—nicely furnished, she thought—and where her room was. The rooms were all on the second floor.

They walked back towards the cafeteria. "Breakfast is from seven to nine in the morning. After that, there's group therapy sessions until lunch, and you can hang around the lounge, or the gardens if you have an employee with you, whenever you don't have them. After lunch is social hour, then personal counseling. Once that's over, you can do whatever you like until curfew at ten," Smoker explained. "You can't leave your rooms after curfew. No sleeping in someone else's room."

Nami thought it was better than she expected. Sure there were rules, but she had more freedom than she'd expect from a mental institution. Then again, she always imagined people in straitjackets locked up in white-walled rooms.

They entered the cafeteria. Nami looked around and saw that the two teens from earlier were seated now, chatting comfortably. The smaller one looked up when they entered, and an impossibly large grin spread across his face. He stood up and bounded over to them. The other man began walking over to them as well, with much less enthusiasm.

The black-haired boy stood in front of Smoker.

"Smokey!"

Nami had to hold back a laugh at the white-haired man's irritated expression. "It's Smoker, brat."

The older teen finally reached them and smirked at Smoker in greeting. Smoker practically growled at the pair. The teen ruffled his friend's hair in a much friendlier manner than Arlong had done to her. "Leave Smokey alone, Luffy." He snickered. "He might bite."

Smoker glared then turned to Nami. "You should stay away from these two. Troublemakers to the core."

The boy, Luffy, looked hurt. "But Smokey—"

Smoker silenced him with another glare. "If you need anything, you know where my office is."

Luffy grinned. "Thanks, Smokey!"

"I wasn't talking to you!" Smoker left to room, mumbling under his breath. "Damn brat."

Luffy turned to Nami, his eyes shining. "Hi! I'm Monkey D. Luffy!" He elbowed the green-haired man. The older teen grumbled and rubbed his side but said, "Zoro." Luffy seemed satisfied, and grabbed Nami's arm. He started dragging her over to their table. Nami was surprised. Who the hell did this kid think he was? She yanked her arm away and frowned at them. "What do you think you're doing?"

The boy looked genuinely confused. "Bringing you to sit with us."

"What if I don't want to sit with you?"

If anything, he only looked more perplexed. "Why wouldn't you?"

"Smoker said you're trouble."

Nami needed to keep a low profile. If she kept quiet, people wouldn't suspect her. These two seemed to attract a lot of attention; there was no way she'd go unnoticed if she hung around with them.

Luffy frowned. "So? Smoker has a stick up his ass, don't listen to him."

He grabbed her arm and started dragging her to their table again. Nami pulled away. "Why do you want me to sit with you so bad?"

Luffy looked at her as if she were stupid. "Why not?"

"I hardly know you—"

She stopped when she felt a hand land on her shoulder. Zoro was smirking at her.

"Give it up. When Luffy wants something, there's no stopping him."

Nami looked back and forth between them, and eventually gave up. She let herself be dragged over to the table. It was surprisingly easy to make conversation with them. Luffy was too cheerful and talkative to let things become awkward, and Zoro was friendly enough. Nami let herself relax and made comfortable conversation with the two boys.

After all, this was only momentary.

* * *

**Nami's been introduced! I know plenty of people have asked me when the other Straw Hats will make an appearance, and I decided Luffy and Zoro have had plenty of time in the spotlight already. :) I just hope I wrote her in character.**

**What do you think of Arlong being Nami's uncle? I quite liked the idea.**

**Thank you for all the support! Your favs and follows make me happy, and the reviews make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Thank you.**

**To my guest reviewer, I'm happy to know that you like it! I hope you liked this chapter as well. Thank you for reviewing!**

**That's all for this chapter, I think. Oh! Also, classes start up again for me in a couple of days, so updates might not be so quick. I'll try my best though.**

**-Spoons**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece. **

* * *

The first time Nami met Ace and Sabo was…interesting, to say the least.

Nami had been sitting in the lounge, trying to scam money from Zoro. It was all too easy. While Zoro was cursing her, Luffy came running towards them, looking terrified yet amused. He dove onto the couch and scrambled to place himself behind Zoro, using him as a shield.

Zoro grunted as Luffy's elbow dug into his back. He turned to look at him, an annoyed look on his face. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Luffy shushed him. "Ace is after me!"

Nami's curiosity was piqued. She had painstakingly made sure she'd memorized every one of the institutions inhabitants, and she couldn't recall ever hearing of an 'Ace.' "Who's Ace?"

He glanced up at her. "My brother," he said simply. Nami opened her mouth to ask another question when Luffy suddenly squeaked.

"_Shhh. He's here!"_

Nami looked around. No one had entered. "Where?"

The younger boy didn't answer. Instead, he sat up on his knees, still behind Zoro, looking at the space in front of him. He laughed. "But Ace, I made you look pretty!" He looked to a spot a little further to the right, and after a few short moments he laughed again, nodding. He turned to Zoro. "What do you think?"

Zoro seemingly looked 'Ace' over, and nodded in approval. "Definitely an improvement." Luffy beamed at him.

"Who the hell are you guys talking to?" Nami demanded.

Luffy looked terribly confused, and moved to sit in between his two friends, legs crossed. "Ace, of course." Before Nami could say another word, she saw Zoro give her a discreet shake of the head. What the hell was going on?

So far, Luffy had actually seemed sane, apart from his hyperactive tendencies. Now though, Nami wasn't so sure. She wondered what he could possibly have. She had researched various mental disorders before coming here, but only the more common ones. The only one she could think of that involved hallucinations was schizophrenia. Although, even if she had only known Luffy for about a day, she knew there was more to it. It was never that simple with Luffy.

As she observed her two fellow patients, she felt a sudden wave of sadness. They were good people. Luffy was cheerfully naïve, and had accepted her instantly. He adamantly insisted that they become friends. Zoro, although he seemed gruff and unapproachable, also made good company. It was obvious to anyone who saw him that he was amazingly loyal to Luffy. She wondered how long they had known each other. That high level of trust between them must've taken years to establish.

She was suddenly jerked from her thoughts when Luffy grabbed her arm roughly. "This is Nami! She's really stingy, but nice. She's my new friend."

Nami didn't know if she should be insulted or flattered.

Luffy gestured to what she assumed was meant to be his sibling. "These are my brothers Ace and Sabo."

Sabo? There was another one?

The raven-haired boy was looking at her expectantly, and Nami assumed they had apparently said something to her. "Hello," she said awkwardly. It wasn't everyday she talked to empty space. "Nice to meet you."

After a couple of hours spent goofing off and chatting with Luffy's brothers, it was curfew. They were all sent off to bed. Nami sat on her bed, thinking. She wanted to know what was wrong with Luffy. After a few minutes of speculation, each theory more wild than the former, Nami decided to ask Zoro. He and Luffy were close. The green-haired man was sure to know.

With that conviction, Nami pulled a hairpin from her head and made her way to the door. She tested the door handle and, expectedly, it was locked. She fiddled with it for a while, and eventually got it to open.

Nami scoffed. Lock-picking, one of the only useful things she had ever learned from her uncle. She stealthily walked out into the corridor. She turned left and continued until she arrived at a larger hallway, then turned down the hallway directly in front of her. Early that morning, Nami had stolen the institution's map from Smoker's office. She felt slightly guilty when she thought of how helpful he had been, and how she was now betraying his trust by going through his things, but pushed those feelings away. If he caught her tonight, he probably wouldn't be as nice.

She eventually found her way to Zoro's door. She used her hairpin to unlock the door like she had with her own, and walked in. Unfortunately for her, he was asleep.

Nami tried everything she could think of to wake him. She poked and prodded, yelled into his ear, slapped his face, and doused him with the glass of water she had found on his nightstand. Hell, she even tried tickling him. Suddenly, she was struck with an idea. She was curious about how deep that loyalty of his was anyways.

"Luffy's drowning!"

Instantly, Zoro was sitting up, muscles tense and eyes looking around frantically. His eyes landed on Nami and he glared at her. "What the fuck are you doing in my room?"

Nami rolled her eyes. "Such uncouth language." Zoro only glared harder. "I wanted to know about Luffy."

From the look on Zoro's face, Nami could tell that she had surprised him. "Luffy?" He asked.

"Is he schizophrenic?"

Realization passed over the older teen's features. "So this is about this afternoon, huh? Ace and Sabo?"

She nodded.

Zoro settled back against his headboard muttering about how people keep finding his room. Nami assumed he was talking about Luffy, but kept the questions to herself.

"I honestly don't know what's wrong with Luffy."

This shocked her. "You don't? Why not? Aren't you two best friends?"

Zoro paused at that. He thought for a moment, then said, "We've only known each other for a few months."

Another shock.

"But you haven't asked?"

"It isn't any of my business. If he wants to tell me, he will. I won't bother him about it."

"Aren't you curious?"

At this, Zoro pinned her with a hard stare. "Don't even think about asking him. From what I've gathered, it's not a comfortable subject."

Nami raised an eyebrow, amused. "You sure you've only known him for a few months?"

He scoffed. "Why is that so unbelievable, witch?"

She merely shook her head. He was practically Luffy's bodyguard. She entertained the thought for a moment, imagining Zoro in a suit and shaded glasses, trying to keep Luffy out of trouble. Nami snorted. Out of trouble. Ha.

Zoro continued, "I'm serious, though. Don't ask him about it."

Nami felt slightly offended. Who was he to tell her what information she could and couldn't pursue? "And why shouldn't I?

Zoro looked at her as if it was obvious. "He'll tell us when he's ready. When that time comes, we'll be there for him."

We? She wondered at that word, but didn't deny it. It'd be easier for her if she had allies here. That's why she said nothing against Zoro's claim. Not because of the warm feeling spreading throughout her body, or the happiness she unwillingly felt at being considered their friend. No, she told herself, that wasn't the reason at all.

They were tools. Nothing more.

* * *

Nami stared at the man in front of her. His face was red and he was breathing deeply. His glare was more humorous than frightening.

Luffy and Zoro had placed themselves before her as shields, and Marco was pulling the man away. The man turned his scowl to the guard, but was rewarded by a more effective glare from the blonde man. After the strange blue-haired man was gone, Luffy began giggling. His quiet chuckles soon turned into a full, blown-out laugh. Zoro smirked beside him, his eyes shining in amusement.

Nami looked at them, bemused. "Who _was_ that?"

Luffy turned his eyes to her, still chuckling softly. "That was Buggy. He gets angry real easily, especially if you insult his nose or try to take his money."

She crossed her arms. "Is that a part of his disorder?"

Zoro nodded. "IED, Intermittent Explosive Disorder. He's easily irritated, and his rages are, well, explosive. Funnily enough, the only way he calms down apart from violence or drugs, is by blowing something up."

Luffy laughed. "_Explosive, _see?"

His green-haired friend snorted. "Yeah, apparently it's some strange form of pyromania. They say he's the only one they've ever seen who has an obsession with combustion." He glanced at her. "Why'd you try to take his money?"

Nami flushed scarlet. "None of your business."

He smirked. "Kleptomania?"

Her blush deepened. So what? She stole a lot. What was it to him? Besides, everyone here had one problem or another. She smirked mischievously. "What about you, Mr. Hypersomnia?" A few days ago she had broken into her doctor's files, and found Zoro's. Strangely, she couldn't seem to find Luffy's.

Zoro glared at her, though he had a faint—almost imperceptible—redness to his cheeks. "How did you know that?"

The tables were turned. "A girl has her ways."

Before Zoro could say anything else, Luffy interrupted. "What are you guys talking about?" He looked bewildered. "What's keptimana? And Hipsomia?"

Zoro rolled his eyes. "They're our disorders, moron." Luffy's mouth formed a big 'O'.

Nami frowned. What would they do now? Would they be more cautious around her, always wary she would take something? Leave her entirely? She tried to tell herself that she didn't care. The sound of Luffy's unique laugh pulled her from her insecure thoughts.

"Well, I was put in here for ABCD."

Nami was baffled by the statement, but Zoro only sighed. "ADHD, idiot."

ADHD, Nami wondered. Why would Luffy be put into a mental institution for ADHD? It wasn't a disease that people were hospitalized for. Nami voiced her thoughts.

"Why would you be put into a mental hospital for ADHD?"

Luffy immediately froze. His face was expressionless, although she noticed the sadness in his eyes, as if he were remembering something upsetting.

"None of your business." And with that he walked out of the room.

For the rest of the day, Luffy was in a terrible mood. He moped about, and it terrified Nami. Luffy was always so cheerful, and now because of her nosiness, he was uncharacteristically depressed.

Later at dinner, Luffy brightened up at one of Zoro's comments. Nami blinked at the suddenness. One second her friend had a raincloud hanging over his head, and the next he was as bright and lively as ever. Nami decided not to think about it.

She would never understand Luffy.

* * *

**So, now you know what Nami and Zoro have. How many of you guessed correctly?**

**I'm pretty sure most of you know what kleptomania is, but I'll explain it briefly just in case. Kleptomania is basically impulsive stealing. You can't help the urge to steal.**

**Hypersomnia is less well known, so I'll explain that a bit more. Hypersomnia refers to a lot of different sleeping disorders, but Zoro specifically has idiopathic hypersomnia. Idiopathic hypersomnia is severe excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). Someone with this disorder takes long naps during the day (a few hours long), despite getting enormous amounts of sleep during the night. Also, the sleep is very deep, and it's nearly impossible to rouse them. That's why Zoro was so surprised when Luffy was able to wake him up so easily. There are a few other side symptoms, but the only other symptoms Zoro experiences are deficits in memory and concentration, fatigue, and headaches. **

**ADHD is also common, so I won't go into detail. ADHD is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The name says it all. However, like Nami was thinking, that's not all there is to it. Luffy has another disorder. I won't tell you what it is yet though.**

**Thanks so much for all your encouragement! People are more interested in this than I thought they would be, and it makes me really happy. **

**-Spoons**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: One Piece belonging to me….what a scary thought.**

* * *

"—and then I pounded him into the ground with my 5 ton hammer! After that, of course, his lackeys came after me, so I single-handedly kicked the asses of all one-hundred of them!"

He looked at the boy in front of him and grinned. His eyes were wide and amazed; he had an excited, open-mouthed smile on his face.

"Wow, really!?"

He swelled with pride, and put his thumb to his chest boastfully. "Of course! I'm the great warrior, Sogeking, after all!"

Sogeking was bragging to his newly found friend, Luffy, whom he had met yesterday. After he had been admitted into the institution and Kaya had gone with her mentor—whom he personally thought was a bit creepy—Usopp had been given a tour, and then left to his own devices in the lounge. He had looked about the vicinity, taking in the cozy atmosphere, fidgeting nervously. Would the people here be mean? Some of them looked frightening. Would he be able to find some friends? What if everyone hated him? His thoughts continued in this manner for several minutes, making him more and more anxious as the seconds ticked by.

Then he saw Luffy.

The teen had been sitting on a couch in the far right corner of the room, alone. Strangely enough, he was talking to thin air. As Usopp walked toward him—a strange pull making him irresistibly curious about the boy—he burst out in cheerful laughter, probably at something the invisible person had said. Usopp was terrified of meeting him, of meeting anyone, but the teen looked harmless. He figured he could get the boy to follow him, and he'd have an admirer, like Tamanegi, Ninjin, and Piiman.

He looked up as the long-nosed boy approached, and gave him an enormous smile. He looked at the empty space next to him and exclaimed, "Look at his nose! It's so cool!" He turned back to Sogeking. "Hi!" he said eagerly. "Who are you?"

Usopp was slightly taken aback by the boy's straightforwardness and almost gave up but, with a burst of courage, he pressed forward. He smirked confidently and announced, "I am the great Sogeking! The man who's slayed numerous monsters and courageously saved countless people!"

Brown colored eyes stared back at him in wonder.

The boy seemed to be naive and easily tricked, and Sogeking decided to use this to his advantage. "If you listen to everything I say, I might let you be my friend."

His expression immediately went blank, and he shortly replied, "No."

Sogeking was shocked. "No?" he faltered.

"I'm not going to let someone tell me what to do, stupid."

He promptly deflated, and fell into the spot next to the strange male. "I-I'm sorry," he stuttered. "I won't bother you again. P-Please don't hurt me." Usopp cowered.

"Oi."

The boy was obviously stronger than he seemed, and he would probably hate him now.

"Oi."

He'd bully him, and Usopp would have to live the rest of his time in the institution as an abused victim of this guy.

"_Oi!_"

He'd—

He felt a sudden sharp pain on the top of his head. His hands flew up to touch the mistreated part of his skull, and he turned to face the culprit. The boy was frowning at him, looking annoyed. There it was; the bullying had started. Now he'd go to bed every night with cuts and bruises, and—

"Don't make me hit you again."

The boy was still staring at him, although now Usopp could see the curiosity in his eyes as well as the irritation.

"I can tell what you're thinking. You have the same expression as Coby had whenever he thought he'd be hurt by Alvida."

Coby?

The boy suddenly smiled and thrust his hand out towards Usopp. "Let's try again. I'm Monkey D. Luffy! What's your name?"

Usopp warily took the boy's hand—Luffy, he told himself, what a strange name—and replied, "Usopp."

Luffy tilted his head, bemused. "Usopp? But I thought you said your name was—"

"LUFFY!"

An orange-haired woman was stalking in their direction, her expression thunderous, and vein popping in her forehead. She stopped in front of them and glared at Luffy, completely ignoring Usopp. Luffy cursed under his breath, but a smile stole over his face and he couldn't suppress a giggle.

"What the _fucking hell_ did you do to my money?"

Usopp shuddered. Her tone was dangerous. She sounded like a demon.

Luffy burst out into laughter, literally falling onto the floor. After he caught his breath he replied, "Nami, I made them look pretty!"

Usopp finally noticed the beli held tightly in the woman's hand. The bills were dyed various colors, and some even had sparkles—fucking bright pink sparkles.

The woman—Nami, Luffy had called her—grabbed the hysterical teen's shirt collar and pulled him up in an uncharacteristic show of strength. Her eyes were covered by her hair, and Usopp could truthfully say that she sacred the shit out of him. Even Luffy seemed to have realized how serious Nami was, and stopped laughing.

"Dammit, Luffy! You don't understand how much I need that money!"

She lifted her face and Usopp could see the deep pain she had in those eyes. He felt an unexpected rage fill him at whatever had caused this woman so much grief.

Luffy looked her straight in the eyes. "No, I don't."

Nami, shocked, let go of his shirt and took a step back. Even Usopp, who had only just met the two of them, could hear the unspoken, _but you can tell me._

* * *

Since that incident, Luffy had insisted that Usopp become his—their—friend. He met Zoro, whom he found terrifying, and only stayed in his presence unless Luffy was around. The intimidating man had a daunting aura that only seemed to soften around Luffy and, to a lesser extent, Nami.

Usopp told them stories in the lounge, with big gestures and grand confidence—the only situation in which he was so bold. Luffy alone was convinced of his extravagant deeds. Nami and Zoro were unfazed, although they seemed suspicious of these moments when he actually showed morale. He introduced them to Kaya, and she instantly took a liking to them. She seemed to admire their energy—something she had been denied for years.

Luffy pointed out various patients in the facility during different times in Usopp's first week. He specified Buggy—Usopp had to physically restrain himself from laughing at the sight of the man—Alvida, and Klahadore. Usopp shivered at the thought of Klahadore; the man had the same disease as him, but unlike him, Kuro was unnerving. The tall man's eyes were coldly calculating, and the detached intelligence behind them was spine-chilling.

Other than a few exceptions—like Kuro—the mental institution and its inhabitants were surprisingly welcoming. It became a sort of second home for Usopp.

Not too long after arriving, Nami, Zoro, and Luffy found out about his disorder. Not that it bothered him much—not anymore. When they had first discovered it, he was scared shitless. Sogeking had been telling them another tale of one of his noble endeavors although, just a moment before, he had been anxiously fidgeting and stammering at another of Luffy's blunt, candid insults. Nami had seemed to have enough of his sudden changes in psyche.

"Alright, I've had it. What the fuck is wrong with you? It's clearly part of your disorder."

Usopp felt his nervousness return, but he still somehow felt detached from his actions, and calmly inquired, "What do you mean?"

Her eyes narrowed. Zoro was stoic, and Luffy was oblivious.

"You know what I mean. One second it's as if you have anxiety disorder—which I thought you had, by the way—and then you're cocky and boastful the next."

Usopp felt himself become less isolated from his behavior, and _finally _he was in complete control again. "I-I—"

Nami rolled her eyes. "See? That's exactly what I mean." Her features softened. "Dissociative?" She guessed sympathetically.

Usopp forced down the lump in his throat. He tried to stop the flow of negative thoughts going through his mind. They all had disorders too; they wouldn't think badly of him, he told himself.

"His name's Sogeking. He's my other personality. He's the confident one, but whenever I'm 'in' that personality, I have mythomania too."

There, he had said it. He wondered if they would trust him now that they knew he was a pathological liar.

Luffy looked thoroughly puzzled. Zoro noticed, and whispered something into his ear. Luffy broke out into a laugh. Were they laughing at him? Were they making fun of him?

"That's funny! Lucky Usopp, you have a cool disorder!" Well, that was unexpected. Luffy puffed out his cheeks in annoyance. "Why can't I have something neat like that?"

Usopp suppressed the relieved laugh he so desperately wanted to let out, and denied his hyperactive friend's claim. "There's nothing cool about it. But what do you have, then, if think mine is so interesting compared to it?" Knowing Luffy, he'd think any sort of disorder was exciting.

Luffy's smile disappeared, and Usopp promptly regretted his question. Luffy suddenly looked so _tired._ He didn't respond, and Zoro quickly changed the topic. Usopp was curious, but if any sort of prying caused Luffy to wear that expression again, he wouldn't ask anything. The look was unnatural on Luffy.

Usopp vowed keep the smile on Luffy's face. After all, who better for the job than the crew's storyteller?

* * *

**I wanted to write this earlier, but didn't for multiple reasons. Them being:**

**Classes are a bitch. So. Much. Damn. Homework.**

**Usopp gave me a lot of trouble. I'm not sure why, but this chapter gave me hell. Can you tell?**

**I had a lot of interruptions. People don't seem to understand the ****_leave-me-the-hell-alone-I'm-trying-to-write-dammit _****look.**

**Still, it didn't take too long, did it? It's only been about a week, right? It's about my usual interval between chapters.**

**So, Usopp has Dissociative Identity Disorder, otherwise known as Multiple Personality Disorder. So does Kuro. DID, or MPD, whichever you wish to call it, is basically a disorder in which two or more distinct identities or personalities exist in a single person, and alternately rule over the person's actions and behavior. In Usopp, they're 'Usopp' and 'Sogeking'. Usopp is timid and cowardly, while Sogeking is confident and proud. In Kuro, the personalities are 'Klahadore' and 'Kuro'. Klahadore is kind and helpful (like Kaya believed he was in canon while he was her butler) and Kuro is cruel and coldly intelligent. If this doesn't make sense, just let me know, and I'll try to explain it better.**

**His other disorder, mythomania, or pseudologia fantastica is, in fact, a real illness. Mythomania is compulsive and habitual lying. Makes sense, right?**

**What do you think the others will have? You already know Zoro, Nami, and Usopp, but what do you think Luffy has, or Sanji, Chopper, Robin, Franky, and Brook will have? What about other characters? Any theories? ;)**

**To my guest reviewer, Sacchan, thank you! It makes me happy to know you anticipate my chapters. :)**

**I think that's it, so until next time!**

**-Spoons**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: As far as I know, I'm not a Japanese male manga writer.**

* * *

"TRAFFY!"

Usopp winced at Luffy' shout. He rubbed his ear in annoyance, and watched as Luffy sprang up to run towards a tall, dark man. Usopp instinctively shifted closer to Kaya. The man had a strange spotted hat, and had a mildly amused expression on his face as Luffy stood in front of him and attempted to make conversation.

Trafalgar Law.

Usopp had met him only once, when Kaya left with him to explore her new workplace. His first impression of the man was not a good one. He had an eerie, intimidating air about him, and Usopp wouldn't trust him for one second with Kaya. He tried to keep her away from him as much as possible, inviting her to spend time with him and his new friends, but it was futile to try and prevent any and all contact.

The doctor was to be Kaya's mentor, much to Usopp's dismay. He had been told that Trafalgar was an incredible doctor—a prodigy, they said—but that did nothing to ease Usopp's fear of him.

He shuddered as Trafalgar walked over to them, Luffy still chattering on about one thing or another, and flinched as a polite smile was directed his way. Trafalgar turned to Kaya.

"Marco just arrived with the new herbs I inquired about. We've plenty of time before lunch; I'll show you each of their properties, so that tomorrow you can attempt to create simple medicines."

Kaya nodded while Usopp bristled at the constant, subtle condescending tone to his voice, but he didn't dare say anything. Luffy complained that it was too soon for him to leave. No, Usopp thought. It most definitely is _not_ too soon for him to leave.

Trafalgar gave the childish teen a look and replied, "I have work to do, Straw Hat."

Straw Hat? It made sense, he supposed, seeing as how Luffy never let that thing out of his sight. It was practically a part of him, an extra limb.

"But, _Traffy—"_

There was a slight eye-twitch at the nickname and a firm, "No."

Luffy huffed, but consented. "As long as you eat with us." Before Trafalgar could argue, Luffy smiled and commented, "They'll have bread today."

The younger male received a glare, albeit a grudgingly amused glare. "How, exactly, do you expect that to convince me?"

Luffy shrugged.

With a snort, Trafalgar shook his head and took his leave, motioning for Kaya to follow.

* * *

He watched, greatly entertained, as Kaya persistently tried to convince Luffy to allow her to do a checkup on him. Trafalgar had told her to do an examination on at least three people before they would continue her studies. For experience, he'd said. She had already examined Nami and Zoro—Trafalgar had forbid she inspect Usopp so she could gain experience treating strangers—and now she was focusing on Luffy. For reasons that Usopp couldn't comprehend, Luffy was stubbornly refusing an examination from her. Kaya had even resorted to guilt tripping him, claiming that he didn't trust her with a hurt look on her face. Luffy seemed a bit uncomfortable at that, but remained adamant. He said he would only let 'Traffy' do his checkups.

They were sitting in the lounge, Nami looking mildly curious about Luffy's obstinacy, Zoro snoring obliviously on a recliner, and Usopp merely observing the events. Kaya seemed disappointed, but eventually relented. She went to find another patient to inspect, Usopp trailing behind her.

"I'm worried about him," she confided.

Usopp glanced at her, not really surprised. Kaya was too caring. She worried about everyone, for everything. "He's fine. Even if I haven't known him for too long, I can tell he's a strong guy. He's just being stubborn—probably has some birthmark he's embarrassed about," he joked. "Why, I myself have a birthmark shaped like the runes of—"

"I don't want to talk to Sogeking right now," Kaya interrupted. "I want to talk to _you,_ Usopp."

He faltered, and came back to himself. "Sorry, Kaya." He said sheepishly.

She looked at him sympathetically. "It's fine; not your fault." She shook her head. "You don't deserve this," she muttered. "None of these people do."

Usopp looked at her oddly, but she continued before he could reply. "Anyway, that doesn't make sense. You know Luffy isn't that self-conscious. He wouldn't be embarrassed by a silly birthmark."

He thought about that. She was right, Luffy would never be so defensive if it was only a skin blemish. Hell, he'd probably think it was cool. "I don't know, Kaya, but I don't think you should pry."

She opened her mouth to protest, but he quickly continued. "He'll tell us if he wants to, if there's even anything to tell at all. It's probably nothing, yet if it is, it's probably something he has a good reason for keeping hidden."

She looked thoughtful for a moment, then smiled fondly at him. "You're right, of course. I won't poke into his business. Now, let's find someone else to bother with medical procedures."

* * *

Usopp looked up at the tree before him. The thing was _enormous. _Its branches were spreading out toward the sun, nearly touching it, while others scraped the ground. The trunk was large enough to hollow out and live in. The knobby, twisted branches looked perfect for climbing. However, the awe-inspiring grandeur of the tree was not what caught his attention. It was an old, makeshift tree house sitting comfortably on top some of the branches.

The planks of wood used to make it were nailed haphazardly together, somehow looking as if it would fall apart at any moment yet, at the same time, looking sturdy as a rock. There were nails jutting out, as if the builders hadn't been able to get them entirely through, or didn't care enough to. There were a few open spaces, probably meant to work as windows.

Usopp felt the inexplicable urge to fix it, to make it inhabitable. It looked sturdy enough. It only needed a ladder to make it reachable, and probably some minor fixes. At the moment, it looked sad, somehow lonely. He wondered who had made it. Maybe, he thought, if he could fix it, then they could hang around in it—him, Luffy, Zoro, and Nami. And Kaya, of course. It would be their own little hideout, a getaway.

That decided, he reentered the institute to seek out Marco. Marco was the most likely of the employees to actually get him what he wanted. He found him at the front desk, after searching every other damn place in the facility. He had his legs propped up in front of him and his arms behind his head, looking unbearably bored.

He tried to force himself to be confident without resorting to Sogeking's presence. He walked forward and stood in front of Marco.

"I-I need some w-wood and—"He faltered. "an-and building supplies."

It came out much shakier than he would have liked. Marco merely raised a blonde eyebrow.

He crossed his arms. _Shit_, he thought. _No._ Sogeking scoffed. "If you deny me, I'll only go get them myself."

Marco's expression didn't change. "And how do you suppose you'll do that?"

He smirked. "I've already found secret ways out of here. I've snuck out every night since my entry, and no one's been able to catch me."

"With Kaya?"

Usopp flushed. "T-that's not...Kaya's not…"

Marco laughed. "Good, it's Usopp again. I don't like Sogeking all too much, even if he does tell some amazing stories." He smiled genially. "So, what's this about building something?"

Usopp reeled in his surprise and forced himself to reply. "I want to fix the treehouse out back. I saw it during the outside social hour, and…I want to fix it."

The blonde's eyes widened somewhat in surprise. "_That's_ what you want it for?" Usopp nodded uneasily. Why was he so shocked? Marco leaned back into his chair. "You're friends with Luffy, correct?"

The sudden change in topic bewildered him, but he recovered quickly. "Yes," he answered with some trepidation.

Marco nodded and stood up. "Alright, I'll get you the supplies. Don't tell anyone though. It's probably not a good idea for me to get hammers and nails for someone in a mental institution, so I'd get in a lot of trouble." Usopp started to respond, but Marco interrupted. "Keep the treehouse a secret too, will you? Don't tell Luffy until you're finished. Surprise him."

"Why?" He asked, confused.

Marco merely smiled. "You'll see." With that, he walked out the door.

* * *

Usopp watch their reactions carefully, paying special attention to Luffy, as he showed off his handiwork. He'd finally completed his renovations to the treehouse, after about a month. The work itself didn't take too long, but he seldom had a chance to work on it, hence why it took a month. He hadn't changed too much. He'd left the lopsided planks of wood as they were—he thought they added to the charm. He'd only changed out the broken or otherwise unsafe planks and made a ladder much like the ones seen on old ships. Afterwards, he added more nails to make sure they structure held, then cleaned away the dead leaves and mold that had gathered in the nooks. All in all, while the small house looked mostly the same, the small changes certainly made a difference.

Nami looked mildly impressed, while Zoro had eyes only for Luffy. The younger male was looking up in shock. Dozens of emotions flashed across his face, ranging from sadness, to joy, to nostalgia, to gratitude. He attempted to be subtle when he wiped away the slight sheen of moisture gathering around his eyes. It was only a short moment of weakness, but Zoro turned away nonetheless, pretending not to see anything. Usopp followed his example.

He wondered why Luffy had such a strange reaction. Was he the one who had built the treehouse? It made sense when looking at how poorly constructed it was. He remembered Marco's advice about surprising Luffy with it. The guard clearly knew something about Luffy's relation to the treehouse.

Luffy had quickly gathered himself and bounded over to the base of the ladder. He looked over to them and grinned. All three of them were lightly surprised at the brightness of that one smile. Luffy was always bright and cheerful, his grins impossibly genuine, but this exceeded all of them. Usopp could have sworn the teen was _glowing _with that happiness.

Usopp quickly followed after Luffy, with Nami and Zoro close behind. They looked around as they entered the treehouse in awe. The view was incredible. They were high enough to see the faint outline of town on the horizon and, for whatever reason, the sky seemed an especially beautiful shade of blue.

"What's this?"

They turned at the sound of Nami's voice. She was looking at a wheel positioned just below the front opening. It was a wheel that one would expect to see on an old pirate ship.

"I don't know," Usopp admitted. "It was here when I fixed this place. I didn't want to take it off."

Luffy walked forward and touched the wheel almost reverently. He grinned and said, "Look, Ace! It's still here! Sabo, come look! It's in great shape." He took firm hold of the wheel, somehow looking perfectly natural behind it. "I'm captain!"

As strange as the claim was, no one denied it. Coming from Luffy, it almost seemed right. Usopp felt a niggling urge to claim the title of captain of their little band, but he kept Sogeking from saying anything.

"But you were captain last time!" Luffy was complaining to Ace, or possibly Sabo, looking indignant. "Why can't you be co-captain, and Sabo'll be navigator!" He turned to the left, supposedly at Sabo. "You too?" A frown formed on his face. "We can't _all _be captains."

Usopp speculated on Luffy's conversation. He was clearly arguing with his brothers about captainship, but there was a certain familiarity in his voice, as if he'd already done this many times before. Maybe Luffy had built this treehouse, and pretended to be sailors with his brothers? What would that be like, he pondered. Having imaginary people to play with? That you truly believed were real?

* * *

**You know how Usopp gave me hell last chapter? Well, strangely enough, he was actually easy to write in this chapter. Weird.**

**I forgot to do this last chapter, but I'd like to thank Kitsunelullaby for suggesting that Usopp have DID. She/he's (sorry, I never know) the one who came up with that idea, and I really appreciate it, because my own idea wasn't nearly as good.**

**Also, I didn't say it outright, but Usopp also has anxiety disorder when he's 'Usopp,' but not while he's 'Sogeking'. More specifically, he has social anxiety disorder. Social anxiety disorder is when a person has a fear and nervousness about public scrutiny and interaction. I'd like to thank Scatteredphilosopher for inspiring that particular idea. I don't even think it was intentional, but her/his (once again, I apologize, I have no way of knowing) review inspired it.**

**Aren't my reviewers wonderful? They give me ideas, and I love them for it. :)**

**To my guest reviewer, not quite. I guess you could say that there's a bit of trauma there, but it's not PTSD. It's a very good guess, though. Thank you so much for the review!**

**I believe that's all I have to say. Until next chapter.**

**-Spoons**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I'm really getting tired of this. I don't own One Piece.**

* * *

Sanji's fingers twitched as he felt yet another urge to light a cigarette. For whatever reason, his guide's laidback, lazy attitude pissed him off. It was the withdrawal, he decided. Everything irritated him.

It was all the shitty geezer's fault.

"Where are the kitchens?" he asked casually, hands in his pockets as they walked through the halls. He probably wasn't allowed in there, but there was no way in hell that they'd keep him from cooking.

Pineapple-hair looked back at him, eyebrow raised in question. "We're headed to the cafeteria now, as I said earlier."

He physically restrained himself from rolling his eyes. "That's not what I asked. Where are the _kitchens?" _He repeated his question as if the man was a bit daft, enunciating each word clearly. The bastard looked unaffected, and Marco turned his head back around to face forward.

"They're just behind the cafeteria. May I ask why you want to know?"

"No," was the short response.

They walked in silence until they reached their destination. "Here we are," Marco stated. "You have time before lunch ends, then it'll be social hour and you can get to know your new inmates."

Inmates, huh? Guess the man did have a sense of humor after all. Sanji nodded his thanks and entered the room without another glance at his guide. He figured it was rude to treat the man that way considering he'd helped him get settled and find his way around, but Sanji wasn't in the best of moods. Being put into a shitty mental hospital wasn't exactly a part of his plan for life.

"_SO COOL!"_

The sudden loud shout made Sanji wince. A lanky boy had appeared in front of him, mouth open in amazement. He pointed his finger at the older teen's face and exclaimed, "Ace, Sabo, come look at this!"

Sanji pushed the offending digit out of the way, directing a glare at the boy. "What the fuck do you think you're doing, shitty brat." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Your eyebrow, it's all swirly!"

Said eyebrow twitched. It wasn't the first time someone had commented on his…unusual facial feature. Back then though, he could send those people home with broken bones and bruised ribs. If he did that here, he'd probably be thrown into one of those straitjackets and a white room.

Before he could tell the kid off, a gruff-looking man with green hair walked over to the teen and put a scarred hand on his shoulder. "Leave Swirly-Brow here alone, Luffy. There's nothing interesting about him anyway."

"Oi, watch it Moss-Head."

The man turned a glare toward him. "What'd you say?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Sanji gave Luffy a falsely sympathetic look. "I didn't know your friend was deaf."

The man grabbed at his left hip and cursed when he found nothing. He scowled at the blonde. "Fuck you."

"Luffy!"

Sanji turned to see a beautiful woman walking towards them, an alluringly fierce look on her face. Her orange hair fell softly down to her shoulders and the slight sway to her hips was hypnotizing. He immediately hurried over to her and fell onto one knee. She stopped and looked at him in surprise. He took the opportunity to grab her hand and kiss it gently. "What a stunning lady! Mademoiselle, I am your servant. Is there anything you'd like? Anything at all?"

The young beauty looked positively pleased at the attention. The slight shuffle of her feet and tug of her arm from his grip was clearly a sign of her approval.

"I, um…"

The barbaric man snickered behind him, and the younger male let out a boisterous laugh. "He's funny, Zoro. Can we keep him?"

Sanji stood and spun around to glower at the pair. The older one, Zoro, smirked. "I don't think so, Luffy. He's a naughty one. He'd probably soil the couches in the lounge, and Smoker'll blame us for it."

"But Zoro—"

The gorgeous woman had walked over to Luffy and punched him lightly on the head. "Stop that." She frowned at Zoro. "You too."

Zoro only crossed his arms and gave her an eye roll. "Witch."

"Don't talk to the mademoiselle that way—"

After a few moments of arguing, with the lovely woman continuously attempting to pull them apart, Sanji felt eyes on him. He looked to see Luffy staring at him with a large, shit-eating grin on his face. He gave a laugh and Sanji somehow had the feeling that something had been decided.

* * *

After much pestering from Luffy and a request from Nami—as he learned her name was—Sanji was eventually convinced to join them for lunch, much to Zoro's dismay. He walked up to the counter, already knowing that'd he'd have to sneak back in here later in the evening to make himself a _proper _meal…and maybe he could whip something up for Nami as well. There was no way in hell that he'd settle for whatever shit they made here.

The man behind the counter gave him a smile as he approached. "Are you the new patient?" Sanji gave him a curt nod and the man promptly inquired, "Any food allergies?" At Sanji's denial, the man quickly made his way into the kitchen. There were a few distant shouts heard within the kitchen another man returned. This one seemed to be just as welcoming as the last, if not a bit more playful. He had an extravagant pompadour hairstyle and a messy apron. He handed Sanji a plate and said, "Welcome to the Going Merry."

Sanji was surprised at the pleasant smell wafting from the meal in his hands. It was a foreign dish that he'd made plenty of times before himself, and he knew the complications involved in the process of its creation. The sound of the man's voice made him look up.

"I was told that the new patient was going to be a chef." The man was smiling. "I wanted another opinion on the dish since I've never quite been able to perfect it. The name's Thatch, by the way." He held out his hand and Sanji took it after a few moments. They shook hands, and Thatch seemed satisfied. "After you finish, tell me what you think. Don't let Luffy steal it though. He'll inhale anything within arm's reach...which is a surprisingly large range."

Thatch dismissed him with a wave and retreated back into the kitchen.

Sanji was taken aback by the man's straightforward demeanor, but brushed it off and proceeded to make his way over to the table occupied by the three people he'd met earlier today. The moss-head was already finished with his meal and had leaned back in his chair, asleep. Luffy was eating at an abnormal pace, a stack of empty plates already gathered beside him. Nami was cutting at her meal delicately, hunched over it in a slightly protective manner. Sanji wondered at that, but dismissed it as another of the group's strange quirks. There was a long-nosed boy chatting animatedly with Luffy, his chest puffed out proudly. As he neared, he caught the track of their conversation.

"—then, with a mighty swing of my sword, I sliced its head clean off! The villagers were so grateful that they threw me a huge party!"

Luffy actually seemed to believe the bullshit spewing from the teen's mouth. "Wow!" He turned his head to the left. "You hear that Sabo? How come we never went on adventures like that?"

Sanji sat down to Nami's right as Luffy continued his conversation with…air. The boy whined, "Ace, you're so mean."

"Oi, brat. Who are you talking to?"

Luffy looked at him, apparently only just realizing he was there. "Hey, you came!"

"Of course. I'd never deny a request from the lovely Nami-swan~."

The shorter boy grinned. "These are my brothers Sabo and Ace." He gestured towards the empty space to his left. He pointed at the long-nosed boy. "That's Usopp. But right now he's Sogeking."

What the fuck was that even supposed to mean?

Nami, sensing his confusion, clarified. "He has DID. Sogeking is his other personality."

Sanji nodded and the boy looked sheepish. "S-Sorry 'bout that. He comes out whenever he wants to. I can't really control it. But it's n-nice to meet you."

The stuttering bothered him, but Sanji didn't comment. He introduced himself and tucked into his food. The meal was pleasantly spicy, but not overly so. The texture and consistency was near perfect. The only fault Sanji could find was that it lacked a few certain spices.

With decent food and the plenty of beautiful ladies he'd seen while being led around the institution, maybe it wouldn't be as bad as he thought.

* * *

Sanji glanced at the people around him. He was sitting to the left of Luffy and to the right of the councilor. The other chairs in the room were occupied by Usopp, Kaya—the delicately pretty girl he'd met yesterday—and others he wasn't acquainted with.

His first group therapy session.

It was more or less how he'd expected it to be. Each person took turns stating their name and disorder while the others in the group gave their opinions and advice. Usopp had become a stuttering, blubbering mess when he became the focus of the multiple eyes in the room. Two others had begun crying during their turn—newcomers, probably—and the rest proceeded calmly, already looking accustomed to this procedure.

Sanji was curious about how Luffy's turn would go. He had already discovered the other's disorders—poor Nami-swan, how she suffered—but he had no clue as to what Luffy could possibly have. All he'd said was that he had ADHD, but that didn't explain Luffy's imaginary brothers. Sanji figured he could ask Zoro since the man seemed awfully close to the boy, but he didn't want to pry.

Eventually—after a long stream of bipolar disorder, anorexia, depression, and plenty of others—it was time for their turn. The councilor looked expectantly at Luffy. The boy looked everyone in the eye, a large confident grin stretching across his face. "My name is Monkey D. Luffy. I have ADHD."

The councilor gave Luffy a look as if asking, "_and..?"_

Luffy continued to smile.

The man looked disappointed, but proceeded with the usual routine of asking the others for their advice. A few people gave short comments and they quickly continued onto Sanji. The blonde looked at them all, annoyed. The whole session was getting on his nerves and he definitely didn't want to sit here talking about his problems while the others tried to sympathize. Nonetheless, he began.

"My name is Sanji and I'm histrionic."

Everyone seemed utterly baffled at the disorder. Only the councilor nodded. After he explained the condition to the other occupants of the room, they once again attempted to give reasonable advice, although most of them seemed entirely bored with the whole ordeal.

The session ended without much excitement and Sanji left the room along with Luffy, Usopp, and Kaya, heading toward the back gardens. Luffy seemed perfectly content, seemingly unconcerned about the therapy and the councilor's persistently subtle implications that Luffy should open up. Sanji inwardly snickered. The man's futile attempts were amusing.

Shitty brat.

* * *

Sanji glanced around as he silently opened the kitchen doors. He was lucky that the employees seemed to think they'd be good little patients and stay in their rooms. None of the doors were locked. He padded into the room and made his way over to the refrigerator. He took out some ingredients, prepared a few bowls, and washed his hands. He rolled up the sleeves of his pajamas and stood before the stove, pleased. He had been doing this for days now, ever since he first arrived. It was really the only way for him to relieve stress now that he wasn't allowed to smoke his cigarettes. Apparently, it wasn't allowed within the facility due to health reasons.

While Sanji understood their logic and didn't wish trouble for any of the other patients, he couldn't help but feel a bit resentful…mostly toward the shitty geezer who put him here in the first place.

He began the process to prepare his meal, and settled into the familiarity of cooking. The natural ease of creating new dishes quickly relieved him of the tension he'd gathered throughout the day. He was so engrossed with making the meal that he didn't notice when the door opened, nor did he hear the quiet sound of footsteps approaching him from behind. A hand on his shoulder finally pulled him from his reverie and he jumped.

It was Thatch.

The chef was grinning at him, and Sanji was tempted to kick that smug face of his. His fingers twitched. "What are you doing in here so late?" Sanji demanded.

Thatch raised an eyebrow. "That should be my question. What are you doing out of your room after curfew?"

"Cooking."

The man glanced behind Sanji and replied, "Yeah, I can see that. Why?"

Sanji shrugged. Oh, how he wanted a cigarette right now. "It calms me. Relieves stress."

Thatch seemed pleased at the information. "Oh, really? Same for me. That's why I love it so much. Why did you come do it so late, though?"

"I'd get caught during the day."

"Well…I could probably convince my boss to let you cook. It could be some sort of therapy."

Sanji was surprised. He might be allowed to cook? And Thatch would help it happen? "Why?" He blurted.

_Idiot. _Why couldn't he just take the offer and be happy with it?

Thatch didn't appear to be offended. "Because I like you. You're an asshole sometimes and you're an idiot around women, but overall you seem like a pretty nice guy. Good cook, too. Your input on that dish really made a difference. It's just about perfect now."

Sanji didn't know what to say.

Although, it seemed he wouldn't need to say anything, because just then Thatch turned around to leave the kitchen. "You owe me one. It's going to be hell trying to convince them to allow a mental patient to work with knives and flames." With that, Thatch walked out the doors with a final backwards wave.

* * *

**I wanted to put this up over the weekend, but certain events prevented that. As some of you probably know, the American football Super Bowl was this weekend. While I myself couldn't care less about the outcome and the game itself, I have family members who do. I had tons of people over at my house and I spent all weekend entertaining guests, listening to angry shouting, and babysitting bratty little cousins.**

**Fun, right? -_-**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Sanji nearly gave me as much trouble as Usopp. **

**Sanji has histrionic personality disorder. I myself never knew of the condition until a reviewer, Kitsunelullaby, mentioned it. I researched it, and it fit so perfectly. Histrionic personality disorder (HPD) is characterized by extreme emotions and attention-seeking, usually with flirtatious, lively behavior. Sanji isn't affected by all symptoms, so I'll only list the ones he ****_is _****affected by. These include constant seeking of approval (only from women, in Sanji's case), flirtatious behavior, low tolerance for frustration, rapidly shifting emotional states (when he's around women), belief that relationships are more intimate than they actually are, and being overly dramatic (once again, only around women). I'd like to thank Kitsunelullaby for that idea. It's much better than what I previously had planned for him.**

**Thanks so much to all my readers. You all make me so happy. :3**

**-Spoons**

**(P.S. Holy shit, guys. Over 50 reviews! You make me feel so special and I love you all so much for that. Thank you very much!)**


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